Speeches

Training

Muslims to join peace conference

More than 12,000
Muslims are to attend a peace conference at Wembley Arena.

The Peace for Humanity event is to be addressed by a leading Islamic scholar who
will call for an end to terrorism and violence.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, founder of Islamic organisation Minhaj-ul-Quran
International, which is behind the London conference, will issue a declaration
for global peace, saying: "We reject unequivocally all terrorism because at the
heart of all religions is a belief in the sanctity of the lives of the innocent.

"The indiscriminate nature of terrorism, which has in recent years killed far
more civilians and other non-combatants than it has combatants."

Video messages of support from Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour
leader Ed Miliband will be shown to those attending.

Mr Miliband said in his message that the "values of tolerance, understanding and
of bringing people together" demonstrated by the conference was "exactly what
our society needs".

He said: "A month or so ago we saw the terrible riots that affected some of our
major cities but what we also saw was the vast majority of people, right across
this country, coming out, cleaning up and saying 'no' to the violence that we
saw on our streets.

"It's exactly that message of peace, harmony and working together that I know
your conference is designed to promote. And indeed the way you come at the
issues that you'll be talking about today, your faith, is such an important part
of British life."

Mr Clegg said: "Your conference today is even more important than usual - coming
together to talk openly and candidly about the issues that can divide people but
crucially the values that unite us too, tolerance, human rights, peace, and
belief in opportunity for all, a faith in young people and their potential to
learn from our mistakes, from the mistakes of the past, to help tackle
discrimination and prejudice, building communities that are strong, where we
take on our problems together."

A collective multi-faith prayer will be said at the event, and a campaign to get
a million signatures to back the declaration for peace will be launched.